Interactive PDF

06| digest
Queen’s new £39M Biological Sciences
Harvey Group acquires Solmatix as part of 5 year
growth plan in UK and Ireland.
build to support 550 construction jobs
NI M&E services company acquires renewable energy specialists
Newtownabbey-based
Queen’s University
M&E services company,
Belfast has unveiled
Harvey Group, has acquired
the foundation stone
Northern Ireland renewable
for its new £39 million
energy specialists, Solmatix
School of Biological
Renewables in a move the
Sciences.
companies say will transform
The new School will be a
the renewable energy sector
key driver for the development
in Northern Ireland and act
and
as a
future
springboard
growth
for
of
further
the life
sciences expansion and into agri-food the multimillion
Northern pound Ireland, UK and which Ireland
sectors
in
currently renewable employ energy some markets. 80,000
people The and acquisition, generate for an more
than undisclosed £5.5 billion sum, will in bring sales to each 110
year. the number of people employed
directly Building by the Harvey new School Group in will
also Northern support Ireland 550 and jobs Great in the Britain.
construction With a turnover sector, of including £30 million
staff and from over 80 the staff, main Harvey contractor Group
O’Hare has over and 30 years’ McGovern, experience and a
range in the of design, other installation firms. and
maintenance The new School, of building which services is
being within built every at conceivable Chlorine kind Gardens of
in building Belfast, type will throughout offer state-ofthe
and art RoI, teaching including Pharmaceutical/
and research
NI, GB
facilities Cleanrooms, for its Laboratories, 750 students
and Education, 170 staff, Government who will and tackle
some Healthcare of the . Richard world’s and most Norah-
Anne Bell founded Solmatix
Renewables in 2008, and since then
the pressing company issues. has grown to achieve a
turnover Due to of £6 open million, in 2018, with 30 the staff
operating building from will provide its Nutt’s the Corner
premises. facilities to help grow the life
sciences As a result sector, of the especially deal, Solmatix in
will areas continue such to as operate agriculture/food as an
autonomous science, food and safety, independent disease/
company within Harvey Group
infection biology, diagnostics,
Brian Harvey, managing director
waste management, ecosystems
of Harvey Group, said there was
and the environment. The Life
a perfect fit between the two
and Health Sciences and Agriorganisations.
Food sectors are key to driving
“We have been planning to
future economic prosperity
grow our renewables involvement
in Northern Ireland. The Life
for some time, either organically
or
Science
through
graduates
the acquisition
who
of
will
an
be
established trained within player. the Having new worked building
with will underpin Solmatix Renewables these areas on and
a help number facilitate of contracts, future we’d growth.
always The been new impressed 11,000m² with School is
their the latest engineering building rigour in and Queen’s
professionalism. £700M 20-year In fact, capital there seemed
to investment be a natural programme synergy between to
our support two companies world-class in terms research of
what and education we do and how and we provide do it. I an
approached exceptional Richard experience Bell about for a its
year students. ago to float the idea of our
companies In keeping coming with together, the but only
if University’s there was a good commitment fit. After careful
consideration we both agreed
that this would indeed be mutually
CONCRETE
FUTURES
(L to R): Damien Toner, Queen’s Director of Estates, Eamon O’Hare,
Celebrating Managing the Director, acquisition O’Hare (from left) & Norah-Anne McGovern; Bell, Queen’s Richard Vice-Chancellor,
Bell, Brian Harvey, Gareth
Booth (Financial Controller, Harvey Group).
Professor Patrick Johnston; Simon Hamilton, Minister for the Economy; St.
beneficial. John Hadley, From Architect, my perspective, Scott Tallon Walker as and great Martin news Lennon, for Solmatix, Managing its
having Director, Solmatix O’Hare as & part McGovern. of Harvey customers, suppliers and staff.
Group gives us a level of expertise “In many respects, it’s a case
to that sustainability, would have taken the us building years to technologies of ‘business as usual’. including However, a in
has acquire been otherwise. designed to
combined real terms, being heat part and of power this larger
minimize “Harvey its Group impact and Solmatix on the engine, organisation ventilation will give us heat access to
environment, share similar values, and by to which achieve I mean recovery enhanced technical units and skills, a financial Ground
the our commitment target of Building to professionalism, Research Source resources Heat and purchasing Pump system. power.
Establishment our desire to deliver Environmental
our services to Ultimately This will I believe the this 14th will lead project
Method the very highest (BREEAM) standards, Excellent. and the O’Hare to greater & growth McGovern, and investment the
Set importance over five we place floors, on the treating our Newry-based within our operations, construction as well as
building customers, is our designed suppliers around and our staff a company, more jobs and has job delivered security. It’s for a
central with courtesy glazed and atrium consideration.” and will Queen’s. win-win relationship The first that’s scheme good was
incorporate Richard Bell, carbon the founder reduction and completed for our whole in organisation, August 1989. as
managing director of Solmatix well as the economy of Northern
Renewables described the acquisition Ireland. “
£7m support for ADDITIONAL
300 new home programme
Lisburn firm TAL awarded the first major construction
contract at Randox Science Park
Ulster Bank is providing
£7million in support to a local
housing association for a major
programme that will deliver up
to 300 new social homes across
Northern Ireland over the next
three years.
WItH 100 a units reputation will be provided for in
excellence 2016/17 as in part constructing of the initiative high
quality by Ballymoney-headquartered
projects, tAL Limited
has Triangle been Housing awarded Association, a significant and
contract the organisation’s (£3.1m) by finance global director,
medical Alan Crilly, diagnostics says that company Ulster Bank’s
Randox. support is crucial to making this
happen. This initial contract is for the
construction “Ulster Bank of a new has been facility active for
production of Randox’s pioneering
medical in the social diagnostic housing products and will
also sector include for associated many years administrative
functions. and we have The works been are the first
phase very of pleased a major to capital work expenditure
project with them by Randox on a funding to develop the
former package Massereene to support Army Barracks
into our ‘Randox development Science Park’ – a
futuristic plans,” he R&D continues. and manufacturing
facility. The award-winning,
international “This will biotechnology enable us firm,
unveiled to meet its our plans target for an for innovative
hub new on homes the 43 this acre year, site earlier this
this contract with Randox, one of
Northern Ireland’s most dynamic
and exciting businesses on a local
and global level. Through the quality
of our work and the dedication and
professionalism of our team TAL has
steadily grown over the last 34 years
and this contract award reinforces
the strength of our expertise in the
healthcare sector.”
The project will be delivered
to BIM level 2 in partnership
with the design team Ostick and
Director at Randox commented: “The
development of Randox Science
Park is core to our plans to create
innovative diagnostics, to improve
manufacturing efficiency to export
high-value healthcare capabilities to
world markets. This state-of-the-art
premises will become a centre of
cutting-edge research, development
and diagnostic manufacture, covering
conditions such as cancer, stroke and
heart disease. We will also provide a
significant boost to the local economy
year. which is a major part
Williams Architects, Rainey & Best, through new job creation. We very
Pictured on site at a Triangle Housing Association development in
of Welcoming our overall the growth announcement, Doran Consulting, Delap & Waller much look forward to working with
Belfast are Kenton Hilman, Ulster Bank, Paul Herbison, Ulster Bank,
Damien and development Hughes, Director plan of TAL Consulting Engineers and Charles TAL on this initial contract to deliver
Raymond Nicholl, Triangle Housing Association, and Alan Crilly, Triangle
Limited for the commented: next three “We are Hutchison Consulting.
the high quality infrastructure we
House Association.
delighted years,” he to adds. have been awarded Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing require.”
The right job can transform a person’s life and the right
person can transform an organisation, we’re experts at
matching both in construction management.
Find out more at hays.co.uk/ni
NI-9402 Specify Strip Ads.indd 1 20/08/2014 16:45